Two more weeks of therapy!

6/4/2010
We had a great week of therapy with the kids. Yesterday I blew bubbles for them and they totally loved it. Doesn’t everyone like bubbles? Except you might want to watch out for flying milk bottles when you blow them. Why you may ask? Well, because Grenda (roll the tongue) will try to make sure they pop by throwing her milk bottle as fast as she can (which is full of milk and very heavy I might add). Four year olds don’t have good aim. Four year olds aim for your head when trying to aim for bubbles. I am so glad that I am aware of my surroundings because Grenda misc. walked by and threw the bottle twice with no forewarning. Actually there were three children that I blew bubbles for and they stepped over, kicked, pushed, poked and hit each other as they tried to pop the bubbles. I would have stopped but the injuries didn’t stop the fun!!! There was still laughter and smiles mixed in with ouches, ooo’s and ahhh’s.
Nothing stops the kids here. Not much stops anyone here. Today we went to Kolomo to the market. Kolomo is about a 20-25 minute drive from the Namwianga mission give or take (10-15 you spend on a dirt road leading to the main road). On the way back when we turned onto the dirt road we saw a young man walking with a bucket. He started to run after “Khaki Jackie”, our Land Cruiser, so we stopped readjusted and picked him up (13 people in Khaki Jackie). Well turns out this young man’s name is Francis and he is blind. He goes to the school at Namwianga and is one of Dr. Tullos’ new students. Francis walked all the way from the mission to Kolomo because he needed a bucket to put water in. Wow. Remember how I said that it is about a 25 minute drive? Francis spoke of his walk as if he was going right up the street.
Being here has allowed me to see and experience many wonderful things. I am so glad that we met Francis. He was not sad. He was not was not bothered that he had to walk to Kolomo. He was very appreciative and upbeat. He smiled and laughed with us. Meeting him was a blessing.
Our night watchman Webster lives in Kolomo. He rides his bike to our house every night. It is a thirty minute bike ride. No worries. No problem. Great guy. The other night we came back from singing practice and Webster was standing in the yard. We couldn’t see him and then he started talking to us. “Webster what are you doing trying to scare us to death?” It was hilarious. Webster said he likes to lurk in the shadows just in case something happens or needs to happen. He mainly watches our house so that wild animals don’t try to get in. Last year an elephant came into Namwianga and had to be shooed away. Not every day that happens in the US right? We have to mainly watch out for the snakes. Black Mamba is prevalent here (and I don’t mean Kobe Bryant).
Sidebar: Tony told me that the Lakers made it to the playoffs, Blanche from Golden Girls died (tear Larissa!!!! Why, Why, Why), Gary Coleman died (what?), oil is still spilling into the ocean and that the new healthcare hasn’t started yet:)
And I am back….Two cobras have been caught and killed. If we use the solar warmed showers we have to make sure we check them for snakes before.
I mentioned that we went to singing practice. Well, one night after blogging I heard African singing in the night air so we went to check it out. Now we are invited every time. The group is called Helping Hands. Three of us go and we mainly stand up with them and smile. It is really nice. They sound just like what you hear in movies, etc. Call and response is amazing. After practice they asked us our “physical being”. Physical being defined: whether or not you are single, have a boyfriend, married or have children. Also, the men here don’t ask you for your digits or telephone number. They ask you for your “details”. When they want to get to know you they say that they would like to speak intellectually with you. Um…there will be no intellectual talk here.…..wait…not that I can’t….but I won’t….lol
We had a great time at the market today. I think the people are getting used to seeing us. They called out Macua (we have an outdoor cat named Macua) several times thinking that we didn’t know what that meant. Macua means “white” or “European”. Catherine our Native American student was offended:( I however am still called “Sista”. Ahhhh Sista you are back! Where are you from? You look like you are (tonga word). I think he was saying that I look like I am black but not really. Now I know what it feels like to be Halle Berry or Mariah Carey. Not white but not quite African either. I never had a problem knowing that I was black but now I am not quite so sure about my “blackness” :) They also called me the Black American. It should be noted that when passing a group of children one gasped for air when he saw Catherine. Funny!!! It was like he had seen a ghost. Other children ran after us and playfully laughed.
The Zambian community is very friendly. The country does not seem foreign to me anymore. Mr. Calloway tends his garden in the morning and always says hello. Mrs. Mono says to come by anytime. Anyone you pass responds “Hello Madame” when you say hello. Lovely place to live.
After work I spend forty-five minutes laying in the sun on the front porch clearing my mind of everything. I listen to my ipod and just smile on the inside and on the outside. I am sooo happy to be here. The Haven children are great to work with and so are the graduate students. We had a scare with one of the infants this week. Sidney’s (twin to Shelby) breathing was so labored. It was like nothing we had ever heard. Turns out she was having an asthma attack and has a touch of pneumonia I think. Now we have to be in prayer for Kelly. Kelly (twin to Kelsey) is one of the infants in Haven 1 who is now in the woods. I had her in the Shatangi on Friday and knew that she wasn’t feeling well at all. Hopefully we will know more on Monday about her well-being.
Two more weeks to go working at the orphanages then we go to Botswana for a safari and to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls in the light of day. Before hand we have to go see the Dragon lady to get more time added to our visas……Until next time.